Grip strap



H. H. RUBIN Juhe 4, 1935.

GRIP STRAP Filed Sept. 30, 1951 Patented June 4, 1935 GRIP STRAP Herman H. Rubin, New York, N. Y. I Application September 30, 1931, Serial No. 565,991

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improvement in grip straps or hand holds. One object thereof has been to provide a device capable of embodiment in a variety of pleasing and at- 5 tractive designs and presenting in addition, certain advantages in manufacture and actual use which have not been heretofore available in products intended for a similar purpose.

Hand holds designed more particularly for use in automobiles have appeared chiefly in two general forms, namely toggles consisting of a single depending strap or cord with a terminal pompon, and loops suspended at or near their upper ends. The present invention has to do with hand holds of the first mentioned type. One disadvantage of some of the presently known hand holds or grip straps, is that when they are made with a twisted cord as the stem, the latter becomes deformed or distorted in use unless prevented by suitable means. This undesirable result is caused generally by the fact that users of the device may frequently grip the hand hold by or around the stem instead of by the terminal pompon, which is the normal and intended manner of use. A further object of my invention has been, therefore, to provide a form of hand hold with a novel type of gripping means arranged to protect the stem from being distorted or deformed, and also to provide an improved type of stem which, when combined with other suitable'elements, affords the necessary or desired flexibility and readily adapts itself to ornamentation by means of trimmings commonly employed in connection with devices of this character.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the drawing accompanying the present specification and in Which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation with portions broken away and with other portions shown in 40 central longitudinal section;

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 a transverse section on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, my improved hand hold or grip strap comprises a stem provided with supporting means at one end and gripping means at the other end. Forthe purposes of the present invention, a preferred form of stem com- 50 prises a hollow tubular core I, preferably of soft or elastic rubber. A covering 2, preferably of rubberized fabric, encloses the relatively elastic core I and may be applied thereto, as illustrated in Figure 2, wherein the fabric is shown as wound about the core and with its inner edge portion secured thereto. When the core I and its windings of rubberized fabric 2 are. vulcanized into a substantially continuous unit, they present in effect a hose-like element having a relatively soft compressible hollow core inside of a relatively rigid and relatively non-extensible, non-elastic but flexible outer covering. Thus, the stem is given a desirable degree of resiliency, due to the elasticity of the inner core, and is capable of supporting relatively heavy loads. When utilized in the making of a hand hold for automobiles, the stem above described may be concealed by means of a decorative covering 3, crocheted or otherwise applied to its exterior.

The upper end of the stem, details of the construction of which have been above described, is provided with means for suspending the hand hold in a vehicle or the like, said means including a bracket 4 which is connected to the said upper end by means of a yoke 5 and a rivet 6. The joint formed by the yoke and rivet may be concealed by any suitable decorative covering, such as a crocheted or knitted cover I of fabric.

The opposite or lower end of the stem carries a pompon 8 secured thereto by means of a bail 9, preferably of relatively stiff steel wire, the free ends of which are securely clamped into engagement with the stem by means of a steel wire clamp ID. The fastening device for the pompon just described provides a reliable connection between the pompon and the stem. Tests have indicated that the yield point load of such a fastening is over three hundred pounds, thus insuring its effectiveness and durability.

My improved hand hold also includes a grip member I l in the form of a hollow relatively rigid member encircling a substantial part of the lower half of the stem and having its lower end bearing against the upper portion of the pompon 8. The upper end of the grip member is provided, if desired, with a decorative knitted or crocheted cover, as I2 and the main or intermediate portion may be provided with any suitable covering as a knitted or crocheted cover l3.

The security of the above described fastening which connects the pompon to the stem is materially aided by the compressibility of the core of the stem when compressed under the clamp It]. This compression forms shoulders of the relatively rigid rubberized fabric material just above and below the clamp ring which serve to prevent said ring from being dislodged in an end: wise direction under ordinary and expected conditions of use.

The grip H is preferably of sufiicient length to easily accommodate a hand and is so shaped and positioned on the stem as to invite the user to seize the device by means of the grip rather than by any other portion. Where the hand hold is of normal length, the grip covers a substantial portion of the stem, leaving a relatively short length thereof exposed for bending between the upper edge of the grip and the bracket mounting. This portion of the stem, due to its inherent resilience, maintains the hand hold in presentable condition without the use of inserted springs or other devices of a similar nature.

I claim:

1. A hand hold comprising a composite stem including a laterally compressible rubber core and a rubberized fabric enclosing saidcore and having substantial resistance to longitudinal stretching, an attaching device at one end of the stem, a pompon secured at the other end, and a grip mounted on the stem between the pompon and the attaching device.

2. A hand hold comprising a stem having a soft rubber hollow core and a winding of rubberized fabric enclosing said core and a gripping device at one end of the stem.

3. A hand hold comprising a composite hollow stem including a non metallic compressible core and a fabric enclosing said core and having substantial resistance to elongation, a pompon, a pompon attaching device compressibly engaging an end portion of said stem, and a gripping de- HERMAN H. RUBIN. 

